Device for receiving sliver in can

ABSTRACT

A device for supporting a sliver as it is fed into a can. A can support is positioned in a sliver-feeding location, and is adapted to support a sliver can. A spring supports a sliverreceiving plate within the sliver can, and in turn is supported on the can support. A sensing element is provided in the can support which senses the presence or absence of a can, and is coupled to means for retaining the spring within the support under compression when no can is present on the support, and for releasing the spring to urge the plate upwardly within a can when a can is positioned on the support.

United States Patent Takashi Morikawa DEVICE FOR RECEIVING SLIVER IN CAN 3 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 248/ 128, 21 1/49 D, 220/93, 222/327, 248/350, 312/71 Int. Cl B65g 1/16 Field of Search 248/ 350, 128; 21 1/49 D; 220/93; 312/71; 221/192; 222/3 26, 327, 386

Primary Examiner-J. Franklin Foss Attorney-Wenderoth, Lind & Ponack ABSTRACT: A device for supporting a sliver as it is fed into a can. A can support is positioned in a sliver-feeding location, andvis adapted to support a sliver can. A spring supports a sliver-receiving plate within the sliver can, and in turn is supported on the can support. A sensing element is provided in the can support which senses the presence or absence of a can, and is coupled to means for retaining the spring within the support under compression when no can is present on the support, and for releasing the spring to urge the plate upwardly within a can when a can is positioned on the support.

PATENTEUUBTIZIBYI 3,612,457

SHEET 10F 2 I nvenlor TAKASHI MORIKAWA MINORU ENDO A Home y PATENTEBUETIZIQYI 3 612 457' SHEET 2 [IF 2 l I lnvenlor TAKASIII MORIKAWA M1 N0 RU EN DO www Attorney DEVICE FOR RECEIVING SLIVER IN CAN This invention relates to an improvement in a device for receiving a sliverin a sliver can.

In the forespinning process, a sliver delivered from a sliverprocessing machine such as carding machine, comber or drawing frame is usually passed through a pair of calender or delivery rollers associated with a coiler for depositing the sliver in overlapping circles in the interior of a container or can.

It has been that a sliver can comprises a cylindrical upright container provided with a sliver-receiving plate and aspring fixed at its lower end with the bottom of the container and at its upper end with the sliver-receiving plate so as to normally urge the said plate upwardly. When a sliver is delivered through the coiler onto the sliver-receiving plate in the can the sliver is continuously received in the can while compressing the spring.

Such conventional sliver-receiving can has variousdrawbacks. For example, since each can must be provided with a spring, the can is expensive. Further, when the filled can is removed from the sliver-feeding position, the sliver tends to bounce up die to the force of the spring to that the subsequent handling of the filled can becomes troublesome. Furthermore, the interior volume of the can is not fully utilized for receiving the sliver due to the presence of the spring in the can.

Therefore, it is an object of this invention to overcome these drawbacks.

It is a more particular object of this invention to provide a very simple device according to which it is no more necessary to provide a spring in each sliver-receiving can.

Other objects, features and advantages of this invention will apparent from the following description.

Briefly this invention provides a device for receiving a sliver in a sliver can, which comprises a can dish fixed in a sliverfeeding position, a spring supporting a sliver-receiving plate within the can and adapted to be received under compression within the can dish, a face formed on the can dish and on which a sliverreceiving can is to be mounted, a sensing element associated with the can-mounting face to sense the presence or absence of the can -on said face, and means responsive to said sensing element for anchoring the spring received within said can dish under compression when the can is absent from said can-mounting face and for releasing the spring so as to urge the sliver-receiving plate upwardly within the can when the can is present said can-mounting face.

The invention will be further explained by means of an embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic longitudinal section of a sliver can and associated members in the state where a sliver is being received in the can, the upper part being omitted;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but showing the state wherein the full can has been removed and the spring is received and anchored under compression within the can dish; and

FIG. 3 is a plan view of FIG. 2.

Referring to the drawings, a device for receiving a sliver in a can, according to one embodiment of the invention, compresses a can dish 1 fixed on the floor 2 in a predetermined sliver-receiving position. The can dish 1 comprises an annular sidewall 3 and central block 4 to define an annular space 5 therebetween. Indicated with the numeral 6 is a sliver can adapted to be mounted on a can-receiving annular face 7 formed on the top of the annular sidewall 3. As well shown in FIG. I, there is provided a coil spring 8 secured at its lower end on the can dish and carrying a support plate 9 at its upper end. Normally or during the sliver-receiving operation, the spring 8 urges the support plate 9 upwardly within the can 6. Indicated with 10 is a sliver-receiving plate supported by the plate 9.

The central block 4 formed on the can dish 1 has a central opening II adapted to receive a projection 12 downwardly projecting from the lower face of the support plate 9. The projection 12 is formed with a recess 13.

As is well known in the art, a sliver I4 is fed and deposited in overlapping circles on the receiving plate 10 within the can 6. As the sliver feed is continued, the plate 10 with the sliver accumulated thereon will descend against the forece of the spring 8. According to this invention, the sliver feed is continued until the spring 8 is received under compression within the space 5 formed in the can dish 1. At this time the projection 12 on the plate 9 is received in the opening 11. Then the filled can is removed from the can dish and an empty can is mounted on the can dish. According to this invention, there is provided means for anchoring the spring 8 under compression within the space 5 when the filled can is removed from the can dish 1. Thus, in the embodiment shown, there is provided a pin 15 vertically movable in a guide hole formed in the wall of the can dish 1. At the lower end, the pin 15 engages with an end of an L-shaped lever 16 which is pivotally movable around a fulcrum 17. The other end of the L-shaped lever 16 is pivotally connected with a connecting link 18 which is connected with a stop rod 19 as well shown in the drawings. The stop rod 19 extends into a guide opening 20 formed across the wall of the block 4 and communicating with the opening 11 formed in the block 4. There is provided a spring means or leaf spring 21 to urge the stop rod 19 toward the opening 11 through the guide opening 20 and also to urge the pin I5 upwardly to project beyond the can mounting face 7 as shown in FIG. 2. However, when the pin 15 is pressed downwardly the L-shaped lever 16 is pivotally moved clockwise against the forece of the spring 21 and the stop rod 19 is retracted (or moved toward the right direction). The arrangement is such that when the stop rod 19 is urged toward the left, its free end will engage the recess I3 on the projection 12 received in the opening 11 so that the spring 8 is anchored within the space 5 under compression. When the stop rod 19 is retracted toward the right, the anchoring will be released to that the spring 8 will urge the plates 9 and 10 upwardly within the can 6.

The can 6 is formed at its lower end with an inwardly projected edge 22 with which the sliver-receiving plate 10 is engageable so that even when the filled can is removed from the can dish I and sliver l4 accumulated within the can 6 will be held therein.

The operation of this device is as follows. In the state shown in FIG. 2 wherein there is no can on the can dish 1, the upper end of the sensing pin 15 projects beyond the can-mounting face 7 and the free end of the stop rod 19 is urged toward the left into the opening 11 to engage with the recess 13 in the projection 12 so that the spring 8 is held within the space 5 in the can dish 1 under compression.

When an empty can 6 with the sliver-receiving plate to therein is mounted on the can dish I, the lower end of the can 6 will depress the pin 15 downwardly so that the stop rod 19 will be retracted toward the right through the L-shaped lever 16 and link 18 against the force of the spring 21, whereupon the end of the stop rod 20 is disengaged from the recess I3 on the projection 12. The spring 8 now released will rise within the can 6 due to its own spring-back force while carrying the support plate 9 and sliver-receiving plate 10 upwardly. The can 6 is now ready for receiving the sliver.

Then the sliver 14 is fed onto the receiving plate 10 while being coiled in a conventional manner. As the sliver feed proceeds, the plate It) with the sliver 14 accumulated thereon will descends within the can 6 against the force of the spring 8 as shown in FIG. I. The sliver feed is continued until the can 6 is filled with the sliver l4 and the spring 8 is pushed out of the.

lower end of the can 6 and is compressed within the space 5 in the can dish I and the projection 12 gets into the opening II. The sliver-receiving plate 10 now engages with the edge 22 on the can 6.

When the full can 6 is removed from the can dish 1 for exchange with an empty can, the pin 15 is disengaged from the bottom of the can 6 and is made free so that, due to the force of the spring 21, the stop rod 19 is caused to project toward the left and the free end of the stop rod will engage with the recess 13 on the projection 12, so that the spring 8 with the supporting plate 9 is anchored under compression within the space in the can dish 1. At the same time, the upper end of the pin will project beyond the mounting face 7 as shown in FIG. 2. The device is thus returned to the original state for receiving an empty can again.

While the invention has been described by referring to the particular embodiment shown in the drawings, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various other modifications are possible within the scope of the invention. Thus, for example, instead of the mechanical means for anchoring or releasing the spring 8, there may be used an electric device to magnetically operate the stop rod 19in response to an electric switch which is responsive to the absence or presence of a can on the can dish 1.

What we claim is:

l. A device for receiving sliver in a sliver can which comprises a can dish fixed in a sliver-feeding position, a spring adapted to support a sliver-receiving plate within a sliver can and adapted to be received under compression within the can dish, a face formed on the can dish and on which the sliver can is to be mounted, a sensing element associated with the can mounting face to sense the presence or absence of the can on said face, and means responsive to said sensing element for anchoring the spring received within said can dish under compression when the can is absent from the can-mounting face and for releasing the spring so as to urge the sliver-receiving plate upwardly within the can when the can is present on said can mounting face.

2. A device according to claim 1 wherein the can dish is provided with an annular wall and a central block defining a space therebetween for receiving the spring under compression, a supporting plate supported by the upper end of the spring and provided with a projection adapted to be inserted in an opening formed in said central block when the spring is received within said space, said means responsive to the sensing element comprises a stop rod engageable or disengageable with said projection inserted in said opening in response to the sensing element.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2 wherein the sensing element normally projects beyond the can-mounting face to sense the absence or presence of the can on said face. 

1. A device for receiving sliver in a sliver can which comprises a can dish fixed in a sliver-feeding position, a spring adapted to support a sliver-receiving plate within a sliver can and adapted to be received under compression within the can dish, a face formed on the can dish and on which the sliver can is to be mounted, a sensing element associated with the can mounting face to sense the presence or absence of the can on said face, and means responsive to said sensing element for anchoring the spring received within said can dish under compression when the can is absent from the can-mounting face and for releasing the spring so as to urge the sliver-receiving plate upwardly within the can when the can is present on said can mounting face.
 2. A device according to claim 1 wherein the can dish is provided with an annular wall and a central block defining a space therebetween for receiving the spring under compression, a supporting plate supported by the upper end of the spring and provided with a projection adapted to be inserted in an opening formed in said central block when the spring is received within said space, said means responsive to the sensing element comprises a stop rod engageable or disengageable with said projection inserted in said opening in response to the sensing element.
 3. A device as claimed in claim 2 wherein the sensing element normally projects beyond the can-mounting face to sense the absence or presence of the can on said face. 